Kickstarter is a technology company.
Kickstarter has raised $10.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Kickstarter.
Kickstarter has raised $10.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Kickstarter is a public benefit corporation (PBC) that operates a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity, with a mission to "help bring creative projects to life."[1][2][3] It enables creators to fund projects in areas like films, music, comics, video games, board games, technology, publishing, and food through an all-or-nothing pledge model, where backers are charged only if funding goals are met.[1] As of April 2025, the platform has facilitated $8.71 billion in pledges from 24.1 million backers across 277,302 projects, taking a 5% cut from successful campaigns and remaining profitable since its second year.[1][3][4]
Kickstarter serves independent creators and artists worldwide, solving the problem of upfront funding barriers for creative endeavors by democratizing access to capital via community patronage rather than traditional investors.[2][3] Its growth momentum includes international expansion starting in 2012 and a shift to a certified B Corporation in 2014, followed by PBC status, embedding social impact legally into its structure.[1][3][4]
Kickstarter was founded on April 28, 2009, by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler in Brooklyn, New York.[1][2] The idea originated with Chen in 2001, inspired by his inability to fund a $20,000 concert in New Orleans; he envisioned a platform where fans pre-buy tickets and are charged only if the event sells out, birthing the all-or-nothing crowdfunding model.[1][2]
Early traction came amid the 2008 financial crisis, positioning Kickstarter as an anti-capitalistic alternative fueled by populist support; it raised $10 million from investors like Union Square Ventures and angels including Jack Dorsey.[1][3] Pivotal moments include *Time* naming it a top invention in 2010, global launches (UK in 2012, others through 2014), a move to remote work post-COVID, and a controversial 2021 blockchain pivot backed by $100 million from Andreessen Horowitz, which alienated users and damaged its reputation before apparent reversal.[1]
Kickstarter rides the trend of democratized funding and creator economies, emerging during the 2008 crisis to bypass traditional gatekeepers like banks or VCs, empowering "populist patronage" for culture and innovation.[1][3] Its timing capitalized on social media's rise, enabling viral community backing for niche projects that might otherwise fail market tests.[2]
Market forces favoring it include growing demand for authentic, creator-led content amid platform monopolies (e.g., YouTube, TikTok) and skepticism of big tech; it influences the ecosystem by prototyping hits like *Exploding Kittens* or *Oculus VR* (later acquired by Facebook), proving crowdfunding's viability and inspiring competitors like Indiegogo.[1] By locking in benefit corporation status, it models mission-aligned tech businesses, challenging profit-first norms and supporting arts in an inequality-plagued landscape.[3][4]
Kickstarter's path forward likely emphasizes core crowdfunding refinements—enhanced tools, global reach, and creator support—while avoiding past missteps like blockchain, to rebuild trust and scale toward $10B+ in pledges.[1][2] Trends like AI-assisted project creation, Web3 recovery (cautiously), and rising creator economies will shape it, potentially integrating hybrid models blending patronage with micro-investments.[1]
Its influence may evolve as a steadfast guardian of creative independence, inspiring more PBCs in tech and deepening impact on underrepresented artists, ensuring the "people's NEA" endures as a cultural force.[1][3] This cements its role beyond a platform: a blueprint for purpose-driven tech in a profit-obsessed world.
Key people at Kickstarter.
Kickstarter has raised $10.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Kickstarter's investors include 01 Advisors, 8-Bit Capital, Accel, AME Cloud Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital Ventures, Benchmark, Betaworks Ventures, Bond, Bowery Capital, Caffeinated Capital, Collaborative Fund.
Kickstarter has raised $10.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $10.0M Venture Round in March 2011.
